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August 9, 2000 <br />Cyprus Empire Corp. (CEC) <br />C / O Richard Mills <br />P.O. Box 68 <br />Craig, CO 81625 <br />Eagle 5 & 9 Mines <br />Partial, oversight inspection <br />July 20, 2000 <br />Participants: <br />Rick Mills, CEC <br />Tom Kaldenbach, Colorado Division of Minerals and Geology (DMG) <br />Henry Austin, Office of Surface Mining (OSM) <br />I participated in a partial, special focus, oversight inspection of the Eagle 5 & 9 Mines to evaluate <br />the off site impacts of mine sites in temporary cessation (TC). This topic was selected by the <br />joint DMG / OSM Oversight Team for evaluation during this current evaluation period. Mr. <br />Kaldenbach led the inspection of the disturbed areas and office records review. A complete office <br />records review was not conducted by myself, as this was a partial inspection with a primary focus <br />of evaluating off site impacts. Weather conditions were hot and dry., with ground conditions very <br />dry from a lack of any significant recent rainfall. Most sediment ponds observed during the <br />inspection were completely dry. The only water discharge noted during the inspection was from <br />the Williams Fork Strip Pit spoil spring. This discharge was cleaz and does not have a history of <br />water quality problems. The permittee notified DMG by letters dated December 4, 1995, and <br />February 6, 1996, that this CEC mine site was being placed in a temporary cessation of <br />operations. There is a locked gate to prevent public access and maintenance employees at [he <br />mine offices. <br />We inspected all the mines disturbed areas, and it appeared surface water runoff control is in <br />place for all the areas and is effective. We made stops and observations at the following: Mine <br />SA portal area and facilities surface water runoff is controlled by a sediment pond and an <br />approved SAE for the overland conveyor disturbance /concrete footers; the rock crusher site is <br />controlled by a perimeter berm and no problems noted; the portal is sealed at the former Mine 5 <br />and the face up area was apre-law disturbed azea; the old shop area at Mine 5 and boneyard has <br />sediment pond coverage and this pond has never discharged; 9-p2 and 9-p3 mine water discharge <br />ponds in series were inspected and are stable, mine water pumping was not occuring during the <br />inspection and the ponds were not discharging; former Mine 9 reclaimed portal area has sediment <br />pond coverage and Mr. Kaldenbach recommending reseeding and fencing if necessary the topsoil <br />pile at this location, there is also permitted coal refuse disposal locations at the Mine 9 azea with <br />no problems noted; we inspected the Simms shop location and that concluded the inspection on <br />this portion of the disturbed areas. <br />